Aug 28 2013
The Helsinki ceramics factory has a key role as a center of ceramics expertise and the development of ceramic products in Fiskars Group. It is now planned that operations at the factory will focus on flat products – plates and saucers – as well as manufacturing small ceramic series. Forming through jiggering and hand-made decorating would be contracted to manufacturing partners.
The planned change to the operational model for ceramics manufacturing is part of the Fiskars EMEA 2015 structural change program which was published in June 2013. The program seeks to improve the competitiveness and cost structure of the entire Fiskars supply chain.
As the planned changes to the operational model may have an impact on personnel, Fiskars will start codetermination negotiations with permanent employees and workers at the ceramics factory. The factory currently employs 177 personnel, of whom 36 have a fixed-term contract. The possible reduction of permanent personnel is estimated to amount to at the most 48.
“In line with Fiskars’ production strategy, our production facilities will focus on a core area in their material field in which the company has either special expertise or a competitive process. By making its production chain more efficient, Fiskars can redirect resources and investment into design and product development, which are the cornerstones of our company’s success, both now and for the future. Therefore, we are forming strong competency centers in each material field, in which we will develop the best professional expertise. For ceramics, the Helsinki factory has this special expertise and we will continue to develop it in the future,” says Risto Gaggl, Senior Vice President for Supply Chain at Fiskars.
In recent years Fiskars has invested several million euro in the Helsinki ceramics factory. Flat products – plates and saucers – make up the majority of the production volume at the factory. They are manufactured using an efficient, automated drypressing technique and machine decorated. Labor-intensive jiggering technique is currently used at the Helsinki factory to manufacture cups, mugs and bowls.